Canadian High School Football Team Welcomes it’s First Transgender Player

Kennedy Cooley transferred to Halifax West High School in Halifax, Nova Scotia, because part of the student body of his old school “wasn’t very accepting of the LGBTQIA community.” Thankfully, at Halifax West High, Kennedy seems to be getting along just well — as he just joined the football team as a wide receiver.

At first he was nervous that his new teammates wouldn’t be okay with him being transgender, but the team and coaches seem to be welcoming him with open arms:

“You feel like you’re a brother, you don’t feel like you’re a player,” Cooley said. “They’re just so open and they accept you for who you are.”

His mom, Pam Reinders-Cooley told CTV News, “Everybody has been welcoming and just treats him like one of the other guys.”

“That’s what he wants to be — included — and he wants to be one of the other guys. I thank the team for everything that they’ve been doing and have done and continue to do. They seem to be a great group of kids.”

Even the coaches are excited that Kennedy joined the team as they see that it “helps the team understand issues that transgender youth face” and “give them a perspective that they probably would not have had before.”

How awesome is this school?

Kennedy’s father told ABC News that he hopes Kennedy’s story will inspire others:

“He’s never been afraid of challenge, and we’ve always supported him as much as we could. It isn’t always easy, but at the end of the day, your goal as a parent is to make sure your child is a productive citizen in society, and when we look at him, we see that he is a good kid.”

Kennedy offers a piece of advice to others: “If you’re unsure about going out for a team because you’re scared or you just don’t think that it’s right for you — take the risk, take the jump.” It definitely worked out for Kennedy.